Internet visitation at jail begins Friday

Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 4:52 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 4:52 p.m.

Inmates at the Davidson County Detention Center will have the opportunity to have visitations over the Internet beginning Friday.

Edina, Minn.-based Renovo Software has been working with officials with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office to set up an Internet visitation system. The new system is touted as being able to bring in revenue for the sheriff's office while also allowing attorneys, family members and friends the opportunity to have visitation with an inmate without leaving their homes or offices.

Brian Peters, director of customer accounts and marketing for Renovo Software, said the system was installed at no cost to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office. He said Davidson County appears to be the first jail facility in North Carolina to go with a system that will allow inmates to have Internet visitation with people who are off site. Peters said Cabarrus and Rowan counties have Internet visitation, but the visitors must be on-site during their conversations over the web.

"The system now allows visitors on any day of the week to schedule a visit and actually have a visit on the Internet," Peters said. "Visitors and inmates can still have their on-site visitations on the weekend. Now, they will be able to have Internet visitations, like a video call on Skype, on any day of the week."

Davidson County will join about a dozen jail facilities across the United States that have Internet visitation like the one being implemented at the Davidson County Detention Center, Peters said. A substantial amount of facilities are considering the technology, he said.

"It is a service offered to the inmate and the public that allows the facility to generate revenues and offset the actual expense of the facility," Peters said.

A total of 11 inmates will be able to use the system at one time, Peters said. A session will cost $20 for 25 minutes. That's the maximum and minimum amount of time that can be purchased. However, an inmate can have up to 10 visits each week, Peters said.

Sheriff David Grice, who explained the Internet visitations will be monitored by sheriff's office personnel, said the sessions involving the Internet will be held seven days a week between the hours of 7:30-11 a.m., 2:30-5 p.m. and 7-11 p.m. Those wishing to have Internet visitation with an inmate must schedule the session the previous day at https://davidsonnc.renovosoftware.com. The Internet visitation will be free Friday through Sunday only as the county and Renovo Software rolls it out.

"We hope this will be more of a convenience opportunity," Grice said.

The revenue from the system, which is split between Renovo Software and Davidson County, will go into a special fund for the Davidson County Sheriff's Office's use, Grice said. The sheriff said the Internet visitation will be in an experimental phase for a year. The regular visitation from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. will continue Saturdays and Sundays.

Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.

<p>Inmates at the Davidson County Detention Center will have the opportunity to have visitations over the Internet beginning Friday.</p><p>Edina, Minn.-based Renovo Software has been working with officials with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office to set up an Internet visitation system. The new system is touted as being able to bring in revenue for the sheriff's office while also allowing attorneys, family members and friends the opportunity to have visitation with an inmate without leaving their homes or offices.</p><p>Brian Peters, director of customer accounts and marketing for Renovo Software, said the system was installed at no cost to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office. He said Davidson County appears to be the first jail facility in North Carolina to go with a system that will allow inmates to have Internet visitation with people who are off site. Peters said Cabarrus and Rowan counties have Internet visitation, but the visitors must be on-site during their conversations over the web.</p><p>"The system now allows visitors on any day of the week to schedule a visit and actually have a visit on the Internet," Peters said. "Visitors and inmates can still have their on-site visitations on the weekend. Now, they will be able to have Internet visitations, like a video call on Skype, on any day of the week."</p><p>Davidson County will join about a dozen jail facilities across the United States that have Internet visitation like the one being implemented at the Davidson County Detention Center, Peters said. A substantial amount of facilities are considering the technology, he said.</p><p>"It is a service offered to the inmate and the public that allows the facility to generate revenues and offset the actual expense of the facility," Peters said.</p><p>A total of 11 inmates will be able to use the system at one time, Peters said. A session will cost $20 for 25 minutes. That's the maximum and minimum amount of time that can be purchased. However, an inmate can have up to 10 visits each week, Peters said.</p><p>Sheriff David Grice, who explained the Internet visitations will be monitored by sheriff's office personnel, said the sessions involving the Internet will be held seven days a week between the hours of 7:30-11 a.m., 2:30-5 p.m. and 7-11 p.m. Those wishing to have Internet visitation with an inmate must schedule the session the previous day at https://davidsonnc.renovosoftware.com. The Internet visitation will be free Friday through Sunday only as the county and Renovo Software rolls it out.</p><p>"We hope this will be more of a convenience opportunity," Grice said.</p><p>The revenue from the system, which is split between Renovo Software and Davidson County, will go into a special fund for the Davidson County Sheriff's Office's use, Grice said. The sheriff said the Internet visitation will be in an experimental phase for a year. The regular visitation from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. will continue Saturdays and Sundays.</p><p>Darrick Ignasiak can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 217, or at darrick.ignasiak@the-dispatch.com.</p>